Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chimaera
Known in Turkish as Yanartaş or 'Burning Rock', the Chimaera is a cluster of flames that blaze spontaneously from
crevices on the rocky slopes of Mt Olympos. At night, it's easy to see why ancient peoples attributed these ex-
traordinary flames to the breath of a monster.
Gas (thought to contain methane) seeps from the earth and bursts into flame upon contact with the air. Although a
flame can be extinguished by covering it, it will reignite nearby. At night the 20 or 30 flames in the main area are
clearly visible at sea.
The best time to visit is after dinner. From Çıralı, follow the road along the hillside marked for the Chimaera until
you reach a valley and walk up to a car park. From there it's a 20- to 30-minute climb up a stepped path to the site;
bring or rent a torch (flashlight). It's a 7km walk from Olympos; most pensions will run you there (
"
5). Three-hour
'Chimaera Flame Tours' (
"
15) depart at 8pm from Olympos and 9pm from Çıralı.
NEED TO KNOW
admission
"
4, torch rental
"
3
Antalya
0242 / POP 964,000
Situated directly on the Gulf of Antalya (Antalya Körfezi), the largest Turkish city on the
western Mediterranean coast is both classically beautiful and stylishly modern. It boasts
the wonderfully preserved ancient Kaleiçi district, a splendid Roman-era harbour and one
of Turkey's finest museums.
Good-value boutique hotels have mushroomed in Antalya, the gateway to the Turkish
Riviera. There are some excellent bars and clubs, and the opera and ballet season at the
critical attention.
If You Like...
History
While exploring Kaleiçi's winding lanes, look out for the following venerable relics, in
addition to the area's many other mosques, towers, hamams and historic sights.
1 TEKELI MEHMET PAŞA CAMII
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